Fire-escape.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

T. M. GROWE. FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1904.

fay/Z a 7 6 mam Mzbzesses. fizmmzbr flifarne UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

THOMAS M. OROVVE, OF TRURO, CANADA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 788,756, dated May 2, 1905. Application filed September 27, 1904. Serial No. 226,250.

1'0 and w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, THOMAS M. (lnown, a British subject, residing at Truro, in the county of Colchester, in the province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Firedtscapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a lire-escape on which Patent No. 765,726 was issued to me on the 26th of July, 190 i; and the object of my invention is to provide means by which the brake can be readily applied to the rope. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of my escape at the com mencement of placing it on the rope. Fig. is a plan of the same with the rope detached, showing the position of the jaws when they are closed onto the rope. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the escape complete. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3, showing a part of the rope only. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the eyebolt on which the jaws are pivoted and to which the supporting-strap is secured. Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 2 on line a 7). Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 2 on line 0 (Z.

Similar characters refer to throughout the several views.

In the drawings, a is the rope, which may be of flexible wire or other material.

6 is the eye, formed in the upper end of the rope for the purpose of securing it to the building. It can remain secured to the building, if desired, or it can be detached and placed in any convenient place ready to be attached when needed.

c and (Z are the jaws of the brake,which can be made of wood or other material and when of wood are about sixteen inches long by two and one-half inches wide and about threequarters of an inch thick. They are pivoted. together at c by the eyebolt 5, which passes through both jaws. In practice I do not confine myself to the use of an eyebolt exclusively. Any other device can be used that similar parts serves the purpose.

The upper jaw c has a slot f with a rounded bottom and open at one side. The lower jaw d has a similar slot g, but open on the opposite side of the brake to that of the slot f when the brake is in use, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, said slots being for the purpose of receiving the rope and of grasping it as firmly as may be desired by a shearing movement of the jaws. Each of the jaws c and (Z has hand-holes 1 b and handles 1?, and the slots f and 9 should be bushed with some good wearing material when the jaws arc'of wood and subjected to much wear. l: is a stout strap permanently attached to the eyebolt 5 for the purpose of carrying a persons weight by either forming a seat or by being buckled around the body below the arm-pits.

The method of using the lire-escape is as follows: In a factory, for instance, where a large number of hands are employed one or more wire ropes can remain suspended on the exterior of the building where they are easily accessible from the interior, and the person wishing to descend could place his brake on the rope in the manner shown in Fig. 1, having first secured the strap around his body, and then grasp one or both jaws of the brake with the hand or hands by the handles 11 and the hand-holes 7L and close the jaws onto the rope by a horizontal shearing movement of the jaws, having the hand-holes It to the front,

. so as to protect the knuckles of the hand in the descent, then swing the body clear of the building and slacken the brake, according to the speed at which the descent is desirable, the entire weight of the person descending being borne by the brake, leaving the hands free to manipulate the handles.

Having illustrated and described my invention, what I claim, and desire to soon re by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape a brake comprising two jaws pivotally attached together with their faces in contact, and adapted to have an ex tended shearing movement upon each other, said jaws being provided each with an open slot adapted to receive and close on a rope by the movement of said jaws; substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

2. A lire-escape comprising a brake composed of two jaws pivotally attached together adapted to have an extended shearing movement upon each other, having handles and hand-holes adapted to a simultaneous grasp In testimony whereof I have signed my name of both, said jaws having each a slot opening to this specification in the presence of two sub- IO on opposite sides of the brake when closed scribing Witnesses.

and adapted to receive and close on a rope by the movements of said jaws, in combination with a rope and a supporting device attached to said jaws; substantially as described and set forth.

THOMAS M. CROVVE.

Witnesses:

WM. M FERGUSON, D. W. ARCHIBALD. 

